Locomotive bed



A. W. BRUCE LOCOMOTIVE BED Aug. 25, 1931.

Filed Aug. 13, 1929 INVENTOR fly W. BIZ/Ce BY ATTORN EY Patented Aug.25, 193i UNITED stares ALFRED W. BRUCE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LOCOMOTIVE BED Application filed August 13, 1929. Serial No. 385,657.

This invention relates generally to locomotives, and more particularlyto the frame carried by the driving wheels, and which serves as a bed orsupport for the body of the 6 locomotive.

In prior and present practice two types of locomotive beds have beenemployed, one wherein the side frames with pedestal jaws, and the crossbraces constituting the axle 10 pockets are formed together as anintegral casting. This type of constructionoften includes in theintegral casting various other parts, such, for example, as the cylindercasting, cradle, pony truck center pin guide casting, etc. Whileintegral constructions are highly advantageous because of their greatstrength, light weight, economy of manufacture, and high factor ofsafety, they are open to the serious objection that the machining of thepedestal jaws is a'costly and expensive operation due'to the excessivesize of the piece of work which must be handled and to the further factthat each pedestal must be machined independently. A

further objection is that whenever renewal of the pedestal jaws or otherparts of the integral construction is required, the locomotive structuremust be dismantled.

other type of construction the side frames, cross braces, cradle,cylinder castings, etc. are formed as separate parts which must befabricated together by bolting, riveting or welding. I

Such fabricated structures possess theadvantage that the pedestal jawsof siX or more side frames 'can' be machined at'a single operation, andthe machining of the other relatively small members can be done with theordinary machinery of the usual railroad machine shop. The fabricatedconstructions however, are open to the serious obj ections that a largeamount of machining is entailed in insuring the proper between theparts, the excessive weight of the completed structure, the high costinvolved in fastening the various parts together, the inability of thestructure to resist heavy strains, and the low factor of safetypossessed by the completed structure.

An object of the present invention is to her.

In the provide a locomotive bed wherein the body member which may embodyacross braces, axle pockets, etc., is formed as an integral casting, andthe two side frames having pedestal jaws, are separately formed andbolted or otherwise fastened to the body mem- Such a constructionpossesses the important advantage that while it enables the pedestaljaws to be economically and accurately machined, the completed structureis characterized by the'light weight and great strength of integralstructures.

A further object of the invention is to combine with the body member inan integral or one piece casting one or more of the followa ing parts,viz, cradle, fire boX, brackets, draft pocket, combined saddle andcylinders or cylinder saddle or cylinder saddle seat, and front frame,and such other parts as have heretofore been combined in integral castbeds.

v A further object of the invention is to provide a locomotive bedmoreeconomical to manufacture and maintain, than the integral or thefabricated beds heretofore known, which is of greater strength and lessweight than the fabricated beds heretofore known, and which is of equalstrength with the integral beds heretofore known. Other objects of theinvention will hereinafter readily appear.

The improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth.

with a seat for a detachable cylinder saddle;

Fig. 4, a vertical section, taken on the line IVIV of Fig. 1; and, Fig.5, a horizontal section, takenon the line V-V, of Fig. 4.

In the practice of the invention, referring to the specific embodimentthereof which has been selected for exemplification herein, thelocomotive bed comprises two paramount features, viz: a body member 10,formed as an integral casting and two detachable side frames 109.

The body member comprises two skeleton parallel relatively thin sidewalls 106;, suitably recessed to provide openings 10?), for the drivingaxles, and cross braces 100, of inverted channel form disposed-inalignment with the openings 10?), and joining the side walls together.Each cross brace comprises a horizontal plate 10d, and two verticalskeleton plates 10c, disposed on each side of the axle openings 10?), ashortdistance back therefrom. Each side wall is formed at its top with alongitudinal, horizontal, laterally projecting flange 10 adapted toassist in supporting the body memberon a pair of separately formed sideframes 10g, which are bolted or otherwise suitably secured to the bodymember. Each side frame 109, is provided with a top rail 10h, pedestaljaws 10k, and lugs 10m, adapted to engage with the usual binders or tiebars. It is to be noted that the pedestal jaws extend inwardly of thesides of the axle openings 10?), when the side frames are applied sothat the usual shoes may properly fit the machined pedestal jaws.Import-ant advantages of forming the side frames separately from thebody member are that a plurality of the pedestaljaws may be accuratelymachined at one operation, withp out the use of special machinery,instead of machining each jaw separately as is necesstry where the jawis an integral part of a bulky one piece bed, and that the side framescan be separately detached for renewal and repairs without dismantlingthe locomotive structure.

It is within the contemplation of the invention to form integrally withthe body member 10 of the bed a cradle 11, which may have integrallyformed therewith a draft pocket 11a and firebox brackets 11?); acylinder saddle 12, to which may be bolted cylinder castings, 12a; and afront extension, 120,, for a pony truck center pin guide, and bumperbeam support.

. In Figure 2 is illustrated a modified form of construction wherein thecylinder saddle 12 and the cylinder pieces 12a, each having a cylinderand a distribution valve chest, are integrally united in a one piececasting with the bed.

Fig. 3 illustrates a further modification wherein the forward portion ofthe bed is formed with a depressed seat, 12d, adapted to support adetachable cylinder saddle. As has been stated the invention may beemployed under suitable conditions general to locomotives regardless oftheir type "whether articulated, non-articulated, steam, electric or anyother class.

lVhile one of the preferred forms of construction has been shown, it isobvious that many variations in procedure, form, arrange-- ment, andconstruction of parts can readily be made, and the invention is nottherefore limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but includessuch changes and modi fications as come within the spirit and scope ofthe invention as set forth in the appended claims.

. The invention claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is:

1. A locomotive bed comprising a body member formed as an integral, onepiece casting for carrying the load of a steam locomotivesuper-structure, and a pair of separately formed side members comprisingpedestal jaws.

2. A locomotive bed comprising a body member formed as an integral, onepiece casting and embodying cross braces forming axle pockets, and apair of separately formed side frames each having pedestal jawsextending inwardly of the pockets.

3. A locomotive bed comprising a body member for carrying the load of asteam locomotive super-structure, said body member being formed as anintegral one piece casting, a pair of separately formed side memberscomprising pedestal jaws, and means fastening the side frames to thebody member. V

4. A locomotive bed comprising a body member formed as an integral onepiece casting and having longi-tudinal para-llel vertical side wallsformed without pedestal ,jaws, and embodying axle openings.

A body member for locomotive beds for carrying the load of a-steamlocomotive super-structure, said body member being formed as anintegral, one-piece casting and comprising cross braces and vertical"side walls adapted for the application of separately formed side memberscomprising pedestal aws. r

6. A locomotive bed comprising separate ly formed side frames, and anintegral one piece casting embodying a body member. and a cradle. 1

7. A locomotive bed comprising separate-1 and a draft pocket at the rearend of the cradle. I

'9. A locomotive bed comprising separately fonmed side frames and anintegral lonepiece casting embodying :a body (member, and

a seat for .a cylinder saddle.

10. A locomotive bedcomprisingseparately formedside frames, and anintegral, onepiece casting embodying a body member, and a cylindersaddle.

11. A locomotive bed comprising separately formed side frames, and anintegral, one piece casting embodying a body member, a cylinder saddle,and cylinders.

12. A locomotive bed composing a pair of separately formed side members,longitu dinal members extending the entire length of the side members,means for securing the side members to the longitudinal members, andcross members connecting the longitudinal members.

13. A locomotive bed comprising a pair of separately formed sidemembers, a structure including longitudinal and cross members andlongitudinal flanges, said flanges resting on the side members, andmeans for securing the side members to the structure.

14. A locomotive bed comprising separately formed side frames, and anintegral, onepiece casting embodying a cradle, a body member, and acylinder saddle.

15. A locomotive bed comprising separately formed side frames, and anintegral, onepiece casting embodying a cradle, a body member, a cylindersaddle, and cylinders.

16. A locomotive bed comprising separately formed side frames, and anintegral, one piece casting embodying a cradle, a body member, acylinder saddle, cylinders and distribution valve chests.

17. A locomotive bed comprising separately formed side frames, and anintegral, onepiece casting embodying a body member having vertical,parallel, longitudinal side Walls formed with axle openings, crossbraces connecting the Walls and forming axle pockets, and a seat for acylinder saddle.

18. A locomotive bed comprising separately formed side frames, and anintegral, one piece casting embodying a body member having vertical,parallel, longitudinal side Walls formed with axle openings, and crossbraces connecting the Walls and forming axle pockets, and a cradle.

19. A locomotive bed comprising separately formed side 'frames, and anintegral, onepiece casting embodying a body member having vertical,parallel, longitudinal side Walls formed With axle openings, andconstituting means for attaching the side frames, and cross bracesconnecting the side Walls, a cradle, and a cylinder saddle.

20. A locomotive bed comprising separately formed side frames, and anintegral, onepiece casting embodying a body member having vertical,parallel, longitudinal side Walls formed With axle openings, andconstituting means for attaching the side frames, and cross bracesconnecting the side Walls, a cradle, a cylinder saddle, cylinders, anddistribution valve chests.

21. A locomotive bed, comprising a body member formed as an integral onepiece castgether.

ALFRED W. BRUCE.

